Joel Peebles, megachurch pastor, is fired from church his parents founded

Joel Peebles

A board of trustees selected by the late Apostle Betty R. Peebles, co-founder of Jericho City of Praise in Landover, on Wednesday fired her only surviving child, the Rev. Joel R. Peebles, as acting pastor and stripped him of membership in the church his parents created more than 40 years ago.

But the issue seems far from settled. Wednesday evening, hundreds of members converged on the church, demanding to be let into the locked sanctuary and Peebles‚Äôs reinstatement. Many in the crowd spoke in tongues or wailed during an impromptu vigil at the time they normally attend Bible study.

‚ÄúAll the work he‚Äôs done, and they are trying to kick him to the curb like this?‚ÄĚ one woman shouted. ‚ÄúThe devil is alive!‚ÄĚ...